How to you benchmark 20 weeks of concerted efforts for reclaiming health? Just show up!
I’ve been chipping away with daily runs, yoga and cycling. Most after work rides allow about 25 – 30 mile rides through beautiful bayous and endless acres of sweeping sugarcane fields. My cycling club, Bayou Country Cyclists held the regular Saturday ride. The club president, Christy J. e-mailed me Friday and said just show up.
75 miles and 4 hours later, I had completed a distance I used to bike regularly enroute to completing century rides. After 2 years, 45 pounds gained, dangerously high BP, and begrudgingly sedentary lifestyle, I had reclaimed the healthy habits I practiced for an entire life.
It was a perfect day for celebrating 20 weeks as a long-time friend showed up for the ride, and for those of you who are fans of the History channels’ Swamp People, the alligator hunter
“ZZ” was kind enough to offer us much needed… water as we stopped at his swamp tour storefront.
Week 20
Here’s to holding each other accountable when the couch looks inviting and the snacks endless.
Weight
– Don’t know. Still not worrying about these numbers.
Exercise
– 5 days of exercise (included 3 days of 2-a-day with morning runs, and evening cycling.)
– Yoga continues to help with recovery and flexibility.
– Sooner or later, I’ll return to the pool, but I’m enjoying the saddle time right now.
Eating
– Good week of eating in moderation. King size bag of M&M’s Sunday, but after hammering the highways; I deserve it.
UNO Ring & BP
– BP has settled into a normal range and resting HR is low 50’s.
– The UNO ring slips on and off without hanging up on swollen knuckles or fat fingers.
Monday – Sunday Goals:
– 5 days of cycling.
– 2 yoga sessions.
– 3 morning run sessions
– bring lunches to work or prepared meal at home.
– Increase hydration.
How are your efforts going? Don’t just read this and dismiss it. Make a commitment today. You have peer support, CopsAlive.com expertise, and a champion fitness advisor all ready to help.
Our CopsAlive Fitness recommendation is for you to find your own path to reclaiming your best level of fitness. For most of us that was in the past and as we’ve grown older and our lives have become busier we have forgotten those ways. Our thanks go out to Chief Scott Silverii as he as spent the last 20 weeks opening up his life and soul to us and sharing his journey to reclaiming his peak levels of health and fitness. So how do you do that?
I think that answer is inside of each of you. One of the first things Scott did was to set some goals and assemble a support team of friends and family to help him. Most importantly he set his INTENTION to make a difference in his level of fitness. As you read back over the last 20 weeks of his articles, now called “Fitness Monday” you will see discussions of Commitment, Balance, Diversity, Accountability, Inspiration and Motivation, Mentoring, Perseverance, Proper Nutrition, Willpower and Success. Scott has given you the road map week by week and allowed you to see into his life to motivate you to reclaim your best level of fitness.
Even if you are in peak condition right now it will be important for you to find a way to maintain that level as you get older and your life becomes busier.
Finally, if you are able to maintain a peak level of fitness as a law enforcement officer Scott and I encourage you to find a way to assist other officers. Our profession is a challenging one and the threats come at us from all sides including our own apathy and inattentiveness to our health. If you are willing to assist other officers with their fitness you might consider becoming a fitness trainer through the Cooper Institute’s programs for law enforcement.
The Cooper Institute says that “there is broad consensus that a lack of physical fitness is a strong predictor of disability, early retirement, and premature death. Because of this, many professional groups such as IACP and various state peace officer standards and training councils have proposed policy changes to counteract the adverse effects of low physical fitness in the law enforcement population. In fact, the IACP has stated that “the functions of a law enforcement agency require a level of physical fitness not demanded by many other occupations, and fitness requirements should be specified.”
The Cooper Center Longitudinal Study (CCLS) has shown repeatedly that having a moderate to high level of cardiorespiratory fitness significantly decreases the risk of developing coronary artery disease, type 2 diabetes, hypertension, certain cancers, and metabolic syndrome.
CLICK HERE for the Cooper Institute’s Law Enforcement fitness standards.
http://www.cooperinstitute.org/law-fire-military
The Cooper Institute Recommended Fitness Test Battery including:
Vertical Jump1 RM Bench Press
1 Minute Sit-up
300 Meter Run
1 Minute Push-up
1.5 Mile Run
Could you meet the Cooper Institute Standards?:
Test Range
1.5 mile run 14:40 – 15:54 minutes
300 meter run 64.3 – 66.0 sec
1RM bench press raw score 151 – 165 lbs
1RM bench press ratio .78 – .84 of body weight
Push-up 25 – 34 reps
Sit-up 30 – 38 reps
Vertical Jump 15.5 – 16 inches
Consider sending an officer through the 4.5 day Law Enforcement Fitness Specialist course conducted by The Cooper Institute. This course will prepare the officer to be a fitness coordinator who can set up a testing and training program in the department.
Topics Include:
Fitness and Wellness
Coronary Risk Factors
Medical Screening
Exercise and Safety
Anatomy and Kinesiology
Body Composition (Skinfold method)
Fitness Assessment for Law Enforcement/Public Safety
Exercise Physiology
Goal Setting
Exercise Safety
Strength Training and Prescription
Flexibility Training and Prescription
Cardiovascular Training and Prescription
Nutrition
Motivation and Adherence
Physical Fitness Testing in Law Enforcement/Public Safety
Physical Fitness Standards in Law Enforcement/Public Safety
To learn more CLICK HERE
or consider their 3.5 day Military and First Responder Exercise Leader Training
Topics Include:
Leadership & Motivational Skills
Fundamentals of Circuit Training
Basic Anatomy and Developmental Circuit Exercises
Class Design & Group Planning
Exercise Guidelines & Safety Programming
Exercise Modification & Amplification Guidelines
Resistance & Cardiovascular Training Guidelines
Body Mechanics & Controversial Exercises
Static Stretching, Dynamic Stretching and Athletic Warm-up
Sports Nutrition & Application as a Fitness Leader
Interval Training & Running Drills
Partner Strengthening Exercises
Exercise Prototypes & Sample workouts
To learn more CLICK HERE
You can learn more on the Law Enforcement page of the Cooper Institute at: http://www.cooperinstitute.org/law-fire-military
Tell us who or what inspires you to improve your level of fitness, and leave us your comments in the boxes below.
As we have mentioned, in addition to Scott and Kim, we are also following Rae Timme and the CNN Fit Nation promotion. Rae is a 57 year-old mother of three and a 25 year corrections officer who now serves as the warden of a medium custody men’s prison for the Colorado Department of Corrections. Every year CNN selects iReporters to race in a triathlon with Dr. Sanjay Gupta and the Fit Nation team. This year we’re giving six lucky readers a road bike (with all the necessary accessories), a wet suit and a gym membership to help them prepare for the Nautica Malibu Triathlon on September 8.
http://www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/fit.nation/
Rae said on the CNN site that she has read all the scary statistics about the mortality rates of people who work in corrections and found that they have the second highest mortality rate of any job; on average, a corrections officer’s 58th birthday will be their last. That motivated her to apply for the CNN Fit Nation team.
If you are following Rae’s twitter feed at twitter.com/TriHardRae, as she prepares for the Nautica Malibu Triathlon on September 8, you will see that she was written up in a recent edition of the Pueblo Chieftain and gave thanks and high praise to Chrissie Wellington for her book entitled “A Life Without Limits”. Chrissie Wellington shocked the triathlon world by winning the 2007 Ironman World Championships in Hawaii.
Photo Credit:
Photos Courtesy of Scott Silverii
EDITORS NOTE: Our Fitness Monday articles are an ongoing feature as CopsAlive.com follows Police Chief Scott Silverii, Ph.D. on his quest to lose weight and get into better shape, and Lt. Kim Lane as she prepares for the NPC Masters Nationals in Pittsburgh, PA. We are also keeping track of Warden Rae Timme with the Colorado Department of Corrections, a member of the CNN Fit Nation Team, as she prepares for the Nautica Malibu Triathlon on September 8. We all know that fitness is critical in law enforcement, but we don’t always do what we know is right. Over the next couple of months you can follow Scott, a Police Chief; Kim a Patrol Shift Commander; and Rae a Department of Corrections Warden, as they open up their lives to you. We invite you to also participate in any way that you choose to improve, your fitness and, your ability to survive a career in law enforcement. We also encourage you to support Scott and Rae with your comments, emails, Tweets and Facebook entries.
Follow Rae on Twitter at: @TriHardRae
Follow Scott on Twitter at: @ThibodauxChief
Please encourage them and let us know about your efforts at improving your fitness in the comment boxes below
CopsAlive is written to prompt discussions within our profession about the issues of law enforcement career survival. We invite you to share your opinions, ask questions and suggest topics for us in the Comment Box that is at the bottom of this article.
At The Law Enforcement Survival Institute (LESI) we train law enforcement officers to cope with stress and manage all the toxic effects and hidden dangers of a career in law enforcement.
Our “Armor Your Self™: How to Survive a Career in Law Enforcement” on-site training program is an eight hour, hands-on, “How to” seminar that helps police officers and other law enforcement professionals armor themselves physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually to survive their careers in police work. To learn more CLICK HERE
The concept of “True Blue Valor™” is where one law enforcement officer has to muster the courage to confront a peer who is slipping both professionally and personally and endangering themselves, their peers and the public. It takes a system of organizational support and professional leadership to support and foster the concept of courage and intervention. We will train your trainers to deliver this program to your agency.
To learn more CLICK HERE
Our “Armor Your Agency™: How to Create a Healthy and Supportive Law Enforcement Agency” Program includes critical strategies that you will need to build a system of support and encouragement for a healthy and productive agency. To learn more CLICK HERE
CLICK HERE to read more about The Law Enforcement Survival Institute.
CLICK HERE if you would like to contact us to learn more about training for your organization.
I’m John Marx, Founder of The Law Enforcement Survival Institute and the Editor of CopsAlive.com. Connect with me on Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter.
CopsAlive.com was founded to provide information and strategies to help police officers successfully survive their careers. We help law enforcement officers and their agencies prepare for the risks that threaten their existence. Thank you for reading!
